photo by Annie Spratt
The pre-holiday period has always been associated with pleasure. There is something incredibly exciting about waiting for Christmas Eve and family gatherings. This is a time when a visit to the store is accompanied by beloved childhood songs, the afternoon darkness is illuminated by warm lights, and burrowing under a warm blanket with mulled wine and a book borders on bliss. In this wonderful pre-holiday period, it is worth practicing mindfulness and stopping when others are rushing at breakneck speed, plundering stores on Black Friday. Join the moyha challenge and use the last days of the year to slow down. Not sure how to do it? Below you will find some inspiration.
How to avoid a shopping frenzy?
The holidays are a time for gifts – and that’s really great news! Giving gifts to your loved ones improves your well-being and is a simple yet effective way to show love and friendship. However, thinking up a gift list and buying gifts can be really stressful, especially if you have a lot of people to give gifts to. Fortunately, there are effective ways to make buying gifts once and for all stop being a chore and become pure pleasure. Because that’s what giving gifts is all about!
Don't give cash as a gift
Cash is considered by many to be an impersonal, “get-away” gift. Giving someone money in an envelope lets them know you didn’t have time to look for a gift. A much better (and similar) option is a gift certificate to your favorite store. By giving a certificate, you don’t have to think about the gift, and you still send a signal that you know the person’s needs. There is only one situation where cash is a welcome gift – when someone asks for it because, for example, they are saving up for a car.
Don't buy gifts at the last minute
There are those who buy presents on Christmas Eve, driving around shopping malls. Sometimes, you can buy "last minute" presents a bit cheaper, but at the cost of stress, standing in lines and wasting time that could be spent preparing the supper. It is best to plan your gift buying from November and gradually stock up on presents. This is especially true for online shopping - in the pre-Christmas period, couriers are very busy, so your parcel may not arrive on time.
Ask your loved ones for a gift list
Remember the letters written to St. Nicholas that were put in shoes on December 6? Such letters would magically disappear and their place would be taken by your favorite sweets. It is worth cultivating this custom in adulthood, although perhaps in a slightly changed form. Ask your family and friends for a list of desired gifts. It is best if it is long, then it is easier to surprise!
Introduce the custom of drawing gifts
You probably remember the gift draws from your school days. Instead of buying gifts for all your friends or family members individually, organize a draw. You can meet in person or do it online. Currently, free apps for organizing gift exchanges are very popular. Just add the email addresses of the people who will participate in the draw and press a button. Some apps also allow you to create gift lists and send anonymous messages to individual participants.
Opt for timeless gifts
The best gifts are those that are universal and timeless. A popular gift is electronic equipment - its disadvantage is, however, the high price and short lifespan, so after a few years your gift will end up in the trash. Textiles and home accessories are a good idea. These can be Christmas decorations that will remind the recipient of you every year, or everyday products such as blankets or bathrobes. Of course, quality counts, so it is worth giving up a polyester blanket with a Christmas motif in favor of a high-quality wool blanket , which will work not only on holidays, but all year round.
The pre-holiday period is also a time of premieres at moyha - you will find here the long-awaited bathrobes , which will be perfect as a gift for your mother, wife, friend or grandmother. You can choose from longer and shorter, thicker (made of pleasant sweatshirt fabric) and thinner (in kimono cut), with a hood and a shawl. We pack each bathrobe in an elegant gift bag.
How not to go crazy?
Although Christmas is a magical time, it is also big business. Most of us would rather not see the other side of Christmas, but it is hard not to notice the Christmas offer that supermarkets have been introducing since November 2. Let's not go crazy and let's approach it with distance, sticking to the plan prepared in advance. After all, the pre-Christmas period is not about rushing for presents, nervously making dumplings and striving for perfection. Christmas is not a competition for the most beautiful table and the largest number of dishes. Allow yourself to be imperfect and gain distance from the preparations - regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas Eve in a small group or with a large family.
If this year there are 5 dishes on the table instead of 12, nothing will happen. Take the pressure off yourself and breathe. And one more thing: learn to ask for help. After all, you don't have to do everything yourself, and preparing together is real fun and part of the magic of Christmas. Just think back to what you remember from your childhood: decorating the Christmas tree with your siblings to the tune of "Last Christmas" or a perfectly decorated table? Baking and decorating gingerbread with your grandmother, or maybe 12 elegant platters?
Take these last days of the year to slow down and relax. As you close your office doors, forget about your work duties and, under no circumstances, bring your work to the Christmas Eve table. At moyha, we create products all year long that have one goal: to bring joy, coziness and pleasure . Prepare some mulled wine, light a soy candle, turn on a holiday playlist and hide under a thick blanket with your cat, a book or a loved one.
And let go.
Because when, if not now?
Have a peaceful, warm and cozy Christmas!
Kasia and Magda